


Sleep Is For The Weak (But The Strong Need It, Too)

by CitrineLeaf



Series: The Revised TigerMom AU (Or, alternatively, the one where Tigress adopts Player) [1]
Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Carmen is only mentioned, Hurt/Comfort, I guess Bed Sharing???, I let them swear because I’m not a COWARD, Implied/Referenced Nightmares, Implied/Referenced thoughts of murder, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, This is supposed to be Platonic I just suck, Tigress Isn’t Trained For This SHIT, Tigress is an asshole, but she’s trying to be better (emphasis on TRYING)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26727235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CitrineLeaf/pseuds/CitrineLeaf
Summary: “ Player lets out a ridiculously loud yelp, followed by a thump as he – presumably – looses his footing and hits the floor. Tigress smirks.“What was that for?!” He yells”After running from VILE with one of Carmen’s crew in tow, Tigress lays low in a hotel room until they can get to her.The only problem? Player won’t shut up enough to go to sleep.Or, alternatively:Tigress isn’t trained for this.
Relationships: Player (Carmen Sandiego 2019) & Tigress | Sheena (Carmen Sandiego 2019)
Series: The Revised TigerMom AU (Or, alternatively, the one where Tigress adopts Player) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089188
Kudos: 98





	Sleep Is For The Weak (But The Strong Need It, Too)

“You’re hovering,” Tigress growls, low and dangerous. She has no real intention of hurting him and even if she wanted to, her claw-gloves are sitting on the nightstand, not on her person.

That doesn’t mean she’s not happy when Player takes a good few steps back from the hotel bed, stammering out a quick,” Sorry!”

She grumbles and turns back towards her pillow, intent on getting a full night’s rest before they have to try to get through half of America with both VILE and ACNE - ACME? However you pronounce it - hunting them. Whatever, but beauty sleep was essential for such an endeavour.

Is that what she gets to do? No!

Because that fucking crotch goblin she abandoned VILE for keeps ambling around, pacing and shifts and definitely _intentionally_ being loud. The thought crosses her mind that she’s used to VILE operatives who’ve been trained to be silent and deadly. There might just be some kind of learning curve for her there but, still, all of this is just plain stupid, because literally anybody in the world is probably quieter then him. It’s _annoying_ , to say the least.

And, unsurprisingly, he doesn’t stop. Not for more then a few seconds at a time anyway.

So, Tigress waits, and listens, one of her hands balling into a fist against the pillow. Her annoyance building in her. Eventually, Player steps closer to Tigress, and she cracks an eye open.

He’s fidgeting, she can tell that even though the hacker’s Back is turned away from her, but, magically, she doesn’t _care_. She lifts her head and chucks the pillow at him.

Her aim isn’t the best, and she shut her eyes again after launching the deadly soft projectile, but Player lets out a ridiculously _loud_ yelp, followed by a thump as he – presumably – looses his footing and hits the floor. Tigress _smirks_.

“What was that for?!” He yells, which Tigress prays isn’t loud enough to be heard through their door.

She stops smirking and sits up on her remaining pillows. “I was hoping it’d knock you unconscious,” Tigress informs, glancing down at where the little demon landed. He’s on the ground, sitting up with a firm grip on her pillow and glaring. Well, it’s really an overstatement to call it a glare, because Player’s about as scary as a puppy on helium.

“Dick,” She hears the boy mutter on the floor, though, even Tigress can tell his heart isn’t in the insult.

“Goblin,” Tigress hisses back, just in time to have the pillow thrown back at her face. She catches it -because of course a trained operative could catch a damned pillow, even if the person throwing it has shit aim – and sends a glare of her own back down at the boy.

He _flinches_. Like actually flinches. And- hell, she really needs to learn how not to absolutely terrify him if she’s going to be working with him until they can get to Blacksheep.

Tigress sighs, looks back down at him and settles for,” Go to _sleep_.” Just before she buries her head in her pillow, she spots Player nodding in the corner of her eye.

Blissfully, he’s silent long enough for Tigress to drift off to sleep.

—-

_Carmen doesn’t let her in._

_Player fucking promised she would, the little liar._

_She flicks a finger, feels sharp claws extend out of her gloves, and steps forward._

_He’s cowering, and he should be. He’s a traitor to Carmen, to VILE, and now to her._

_And he’s going to pay for it._

—-

Tigress wakes, not because of the disturbing thoughts of her dream – though that definitely leaves her feeling unnerved and frazzled – but instead to the sounds of… _sniffling_.

From… Player’s bed…

_Oh_ , she thinks.

Oh.

_Oh, shit_.

Well, Tigress has been trained to sleep lightly, to always be ready to fight back if she should be attacked. And, she’s been trained to not, err… kill her teammates if they get on her nerves. But this? Tigress is _not_ trained for this.

Carefully, she props herself up on her elbows. Player’s on the other bed, facing away from her. So, she can’t exactly see his face, but she can make out the way he’s trembling in the darkness, curled up and scared and-

_Fuck_ , She thinks, because she shouldn’t be caring about him. Let Player be tired and sleep deprived. _Hell_ , she could let him get captured if it didn’t mean Carmen wouldn’t trust her. You just need him alive, Tigress tells herself, biting her lip.

“ _Player_?” Tigress hears herself ask, except it’s not her voice, because it’s soft and gentle and everything she refuses to be. The trembling stops with a soft hitch in of breath, instead of any actual words. The operative bites her lip, and then releases it, mentally screaming as she pushes herself to the other side of the hotel bed, making room. “Just come over here.”

She can see Player twist over to look at her,” You’re… kidding, right?” His voice is rough and scratchy,” You’re gonna like.. slash me when I get over there, aren’t you?”

“Seriously?” Tigress snaps, because seriously!?”I’m not wasting all the work I did to keep your little ass alive by killing you!”

Tigress sees Player _flinch_ once more in the darkness. “Shit-“ she mumbles,” – Sorry I just…” She doesn’t know what to say, what to do to apologize. Half of her still thinks this is a shitty idea, but.. “If you can’t defend yourself because you’re sleep deprived, you’re gonna’ get us both killed. So…” She trails off.

She can feel Player’s eyes on her, and she decides, quickly, that she _hates_ it. “So?” He questions, his voice soft.

“So, if it means I don’t have to carry your sorry ass to your friends, you can sleep with me.” Tigress finishes, forcing her force to be a sort of kinder snarl then typical.

“Oh,” he says and Tigress watches as he slowly pushes himself up out of his bed. He walks over, but pauses, standing over hers,” Are you… sure this isn’t a trap?”

She _growls_ , and he steps back immediately. “I’m about to _revoke_ my offer,” Tigress warns sharply, though even she knows there’s barely any venom in the statement.

Player throws his hands up in a ‘I surrender!’ Gesture, despite the stupid smile that absolutely has to be on his face,” Okay! Okay! I get it!” and then moves to slip into the other side of the bed. To the operative’s relief, he stays on the other side, curling up tight and leaving a wide berth between the two of them. Tigress turns away, into one of her pillows.

And he’s finally, wonderfully, quiet.

At least for five seconds, because then he pipes up again,” _Hey, Tigress?”_

“If you’re about to ask if you can cuddle with me, the answer is no.”

Player laughs at her and Tigress doesn’t know whether to be mad or to laugh along. “No, no I was just…” he trails off for a moment, with a sigh,” Thank you, not just for.. y’know, this? But for… for everything..”

Tigress, swallows, hard. She could respond, she could let out a snarky “you’re welcome”, she could call him and idiot or an over thinker or- or she could… say something.

But, she doesn’t. Tigress just doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even move a muscle until Player settles back down into the shitty hotel bed. _Coward_ , her brain supplies in place of the words that have lodged in her throat. It isn’t directed at Player. Hell, she doesn’t know if she could insult him at the moment. It… wouldn’t be fair to kick him well he’s down.

_Liar_ , her brain calls out, similar enough to the thoughts of her dream that it startles her. There’s a _key_ difference here, but she doesn’t say it.

“ _I’m sorry_ ,” Tigress whispers instead, once she’s sure Player’s fallen into a deep enough sleep that it won’t wake him _. I’m sorry that you had to go through this, I’m sorry I brought this onto you, I’m sorry for what I did, I’m sorry for what I’ve been doing and I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m-_

_“I’m sorry_ ,” Tigress whispers, and feels tears fall.

**Author's Note:**

> The alternates titles for this were:
> 
> \- Inhale Oxygen, Exhale Apologizes  
> \- Was it something I said?
> 
> Woah, this is like... the longest fic I’ve written in months????? I’m proud lol
> 
> This is probably confusing but like... Oof. Sucks for you?
> 
> Also lmao the curators on amino didn’t stop me from making a meme as the cover for the story 😎
> 
> Tigress: I’m not trained for...
> 
> Tigress, waving her long nails in a sobbing Player’s direction: all of... that
> 
> Personally, I HC that Player would be scared of Tigress or Paperstar in a head to head confrontation. (Because they’re more vicious then the other operatives)


End file.
